Chef Jon Novak has 14 years of experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry at just 30 years old. His story is a unique one. Novak moved to Germany when he was 3 years old and from his travels all over Europe he gained a lifetime of experience with flavors and dishes that other American taught chefs may not have. Novak chose to start his career not in school, but as a busboy where he instantly fell in love with being part of a team and the hustle that comes with working in a restaurant. Over the next few years he worked tirelessly to achieve Michelin Star experience and a few week-long stagiaire from Bay Area restaurants like Single Thread Farms & TORC Napa. Novak was the sous chef at TORC Napa for 2 years and attributes a bulk of his experience to working under the executive chef Sean O’Toole. Novak says, “I can’t explain how much this man means to me and my career. I would truly be nothing without him. He saw the talent and skills I possessed and he took me under his wing and shaped me into a warrior.”